


Don't Cry Because It's Over...

by paper_back_writer



Series: Not Looking 'Verse [5]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dom/sub Undertones, Family Issues, Knotting, M/M, Werewolf Discrimination, Werewolf Mates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-06
Updated: 2015-01-06
Packaged: 2018-03-06 10:00:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3130448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paper_back_writer/pseuds/paper_back_writer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jared and Jensen wake up, mated...and all they know about each other are their first names. - Jensen's brother is coming to visit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Cry Because It's Over...

Jared cracked an eye open. He didn't have to move his head to see the glowing digits of the clock smeared red in the darkness. 2.24am. He closed it again and waited for the numbers burnt on his retina to fade, trying to ignore the way Jensen's breathing betrayed the fact that he was wide awake. When Jared had glimpsed consciousness two hours earlier, Jensen had at least pretended to be asleep. Now he was lying on his back, thinking so hard, Jared could almost hear his synapses firing. He sighed, resisting the drag of his mind towards sweet, dark oblivion, and instead reached out a hand and fumbled on the bedside lamp.  
  
Jensen's hands flew up to his face and hissed at the sudden brightness. "Jesus! A little warning, please!"                                                                                                                                            

Jared dragged his face across his pillow as he turned. "Sorry." He scooted around, propped himself up on one elbow, blinking away his sleepy vision, and hovered over his mate, waiting for him to take his hands away from his eyes. When Jensen showed no signs of moving, Jared bent and kissed him on the temple, scenting his hair, the almond shampoo overridden with damp, bitter sweat along his hairline. "You wanna tell me what's up?"

Jensen sighed and mumbled, "Take a wild guess." from behind his palms.

"Jen..." Jared meant to sound gentle and sympathetic but there was a hint of Alpha that crept in, a slight growly undertone that came from his diaphragm. It was unconscious and really unfair but Jensen reacted instinctively, pulling his hands away and curling into Jared's chest.

"I'm sorry. I just...I keep thinking about tomorrow. It's been so long. What if he hates me? What if he's just coming to spit in my face and tell me to never come back? What if...?"

Jared's arms wrapped tightly around Jensen, fingers pressing hard into his skin to still him. "Whoa, whoa! Where is this coming from?" Jensen shrugged and buried his face deeper into Jared's neck. It was one of those things that Jensen did - like sitting on the kitchen counter swinging his legs or letting out a long bored sigh whenever Jared wanted to watch a documentary instead of reruns of Punk'd - that made Jared feel like a dirty old man. Jensen was still so much a kid and it was easy to forget sometimes that he wasn't as grown-up and together as he made out. Jared kissed the side of his head and held him tight, trying to make him feel as safe as possible. "All week you've been so excited to see him. What happened?"

Jensen tilted his head back, catching Jared's lips with his own. He kissed him lazy and soft and Jared found himself becoming pliant, relaxing into Jensen's gentle attention, running his hand absently over the downy skin on the curve of Jensen's back, over the swell of his ass, relishing the way Jensen hummed into his mouth and started to spread his legs in invitation. Jared smiled and licked along Jensen's jawline to his ear. He sucked gently at his pulse point before whispering, soft and low, "Not a chance, Omega. You can distract me all you want but we _will_ talk about this."

Jensen groaned and shoved him as best as he could, which was hardly at all given that he was engulfed in Jared's arms. Jared smirked and kissed him quick and hard before rolling out of bed. Jensen lay on his back, hands fisted in his hair for a moment before he realized Jared was pulling on his sweatpants. "Where are you going?"

Jared was surprised to see fear in his eyes. He clambered quickly onto the bed, bracketing Jensen with his body. He bent forwards nuzzling into Jensen's neck and sucked hard on the mating scar he'd left there. Jensen drew in a deep breath and arched up into his mate, moaning in disappointment when Jared whispered, "I'll be in the kitchen when you're ready to talk."

 

Ten minutes later, Jared smirked when he heard Jensen padding down the hall towards him. He turned his back so he didn't have to listen to Jensen bitch about his 'smug face' but Jensen muttered, "Oh, shut up." anyway as he slid his butt onto one of the high stools at the breakfast counter. Jared huffed out a laugh and gave the teabag one last dunk before dropping it into the sink. He slid the mug across to Jensen, deciding that he should probably keep the counter between him and his omega because the combination of bed-head, yesterday's Henley - complete with pasta sauce smeared down one pec - and the outline of Jensen's dick through his boxers was already making Jared half hard.

Instead, he picked up his coffee and held it to his chest, as he leant his hip against the surface. "So..."

Jensen nodded. "So..."

There was a long pause before Jared shook his head. "Jen, I know you don't really want to talk about this and I meant what I said, you don't _have_ to tell me anything but..."

"I know, I know..." Jensen rubbed the back of his hand roughly across his eyes. "And I know it's stupid that I haven't talked about him...at all, but..."

Jared paused, waiting. He'd been waiting a week for Jensen to tell him about his brother but every time he thought Jensen was about to say something, he'd change the subject. Jared knew he could make Jensen tell him but he didn't want to be that guy, didn't want to be that kind of Alpha. Except now it was clearly freaking Jensen out and he couldn't bear the thought of letting him go on suffering in silence when the burden was something they could be sharing.

Jared took a sip of coffee, and then rested the mug on the counter in front of him. "Is he older or younger?"

Jensen sighed and shifted on the stool. "Younger. Four years younger."

Jared nodded, trying not to react too much at the fact that Jensen was finally talking. "How old was he when they adopted him?"

Jensen's eyes flicked up to him for a second, a flash of green before they were gone again. "He's...he wasn't...he's their biological son."

Jared couldn't help reacting then. He straightened, raising his eyebrows, too tired to hide the surprise in his voice. "But I thought...?" _they couldn't have children._

Jensen huffed out a laugh. "Yup. So did they. Colin is their 'little miracle'." He raised his hands to mime the air quotes without looking up. "It never made a difference really. They treated us just the same. Said we were both a gift, that kinda thing. They were actually good parents, y'know?" Jensen finally made eye contact, and Jared was surprised to see the sincerity in his face. Jensen laughed at the look Jared was giving him. "They were, honestly! Well. Until the whole..." He fake-growled and clawed at the air, letting his wolf out enough that his eyes and hands shifted for a second, "thing. Then not so much."

Jared laughed, bitter for the way they had ostracized Jensen when he needed them the most, but also with some relief that Jensen had come through it with the confidence to be able to make a joke of it, even though he could see it hurt him still.

"Did you get along?"

Jensen smiled softly and spoke quietly when he said, "Yeah. Yeah, he was my little buddy, right from the start. We never really fought...I dunno...I never really understood when my friends didn't want their brothers or sisters around. I just liked hanging out with him, even when he was a little kid. Everyone thought it was weird but it just felt right, having him around."

Jared couldn't help smiling. "It's not weird, it's a Were thing actually." Jensen's eyes opened wide. Jared shrugged. "He was your pack, and younger. Your wolf would have wanted to keep him close. It's natural for Were kids to behave like that. To protect each other."

Jensen looked away and smiled. "That explains a lot." He huffed out a laugh. "My mom used to go crazy because I'd get up in the night and sneak into his crib to sleep with him. I think it used to annoy her when he got older, if he was afraid in the night, had a nightmare or whatever, he'd come to me and not her. She wouldn't yell or anything but she'd look so disappointed to find him in my bed in the morning."

"You made him feel safe. Sometimes people can sense Weres even though they might not realize it. Chances are he could feel how protective your wolf was over him and he would have been drawn to that." Jensen didn't respond, just kept his eyes on the night sky outside the window.

Jared watched him, resisting the urge to keep pushing, trying to leave space for him to talk. Eventually Jensen sighed and brought his mug to his lips. When he swallowed, the sound was audible in the silence. He swiveled around in his seat and leant forward on the counter. "I guess it doesn't matter now anyway."

Jared started to say _don't say that,_ but Jensen shook his head as soon as Jared took a breath. "No, really. A lot happened. Things were said. I really have no idea what's going to happen tomorrow or, today, later...whatever."

"But you talked to him on the phone? And he wouldn't come if he didn't want to see you, right?" Jared hoped it was the right thing to say but the way Jensen seemed to tense up, made him doubt himself.

"Yeah. I guess so. It's just..." Jensen scrubbed his hands over his face. He breathed out heavily and it seemed to solidify something in him. He turned to face Jared and looked directly at him. "That first time I went into heat, my parents thought I was sick so they took me to the doctor. Of course, he knew what it was - what I was - straight off. I remember him being so matter-of-fact about it, talking about suppressants and heat cycles and stuff, like I'd come down with a cold or something. Of course, mom and dad were horrified. When we got home there was lots of shouting and crying and...they told Colin I was sick. And that he had to stay away from me so he didn't get sick."

"Jesus." Jared didn't want to interrupt Jensen's flow but he couldn't help but breath out the word.

Jensen smiled. "Exactly. They never told me I was an abomination or anything, but I'd heard it enough at church and school. Colin was only ten. He really didn't know what was happening. He tried to talk to me about what was going on, tried to get me to explain it, but I was struggling. I couldn't be there for him like I should have. I started to think that maybe I could infect him somehow or that I was a danger to him like my parents thought. After a while he just stopped asking. By the time I left, we barely spoke anymore. We avoided each other as much as we could around the house and at school. After I moved out, I'd catch a glimpse of him around town or whatever but we never spoke. I wanted to but I guess I figured that it was for the best." He paused and wiped at his eyes, then said quietly, "It still hurt like hell though, Jay. Still does."

Jared couldn't take it anymore. He rounded the counter quickly and gathered Jensen up into him. Jensen clung to his chest, not crying but breathing hard, using the mate scent coming off Jared to comfort and steady himself. Jared pressed his mouth to the top of Jensen's head and held him tight.

They stayed like that for a long while, until Jensen fully relaxed, and Jared felt bad that he couldn't help but think about how his bare feet were getting cold. Jensen must have felt the way he started to fidget and was the first to pull away.

Jared tilted Jensen's face up and pressed his lips to the corner of Jensen's mouth. "I can't guarantee it's going to be all rainbows and flowers, Jen. But I have a good feeling. I think it's going to be okay." Jensen smiled sadly up at him, the tiredness showing in the omega's eyes. Jared kissed him again and then stepped back, pulling Jensen with him, saying, "And if it isn't, well then, we'll just cross that bridge when we come to it. Okay?"

Jensen slid off the stool and walked slowly as Jared led him back to the bedroom, saying simply, "Okay." as Jared flicked off the kitchen light.

Jensen stood passively as Jared stripped off Jensen's shirt and boxers before removing his sweatpants. It only took a hand on Jensen’s chest to get him to lie back, sinking heavily into the mattress. Jared crawled up the bed, running his stubbly cheek up the inside of Jensen's pale thigh, encouraging him to open up. He nosed at Jensen's balls, breathing in his scent, making Jensen sigh, the two of them bone-tired but needing the closeness. Jared lapped once at Jensen's hole when he canted his hips up, making Jensen gasp, and then kept licking up his perineum, over his sac, pressing the flat of his wet tongue along the length of Jensen's hardening cock, before taking him fully into his mouth for one slow suck.

Jensen moaned low and lazy as Jared pulled his mouth off him. The omega lifted his knees and snaked his arms around his Alpha's neck as Jared blanketed Jensen with his body, pushing slowly into him as they wrapped themselves up in each other. There was no urgency. They kissed deep, exploring the increasingly familiar tastes and textures, rocking together quietly in a slow steady rhythm until Jared's knot began to swell. Jensen pressed his face into Jared's shoulder and  grunted through the stretch as Jared mouthed at his neck until he felt Jensen was close. He bit down on Jensen's shoulder, sighing out a groan when he felt it tip Jensen over the edge and spill between them. Jensen was instantly boneless, letting his arms drop down to the mattress, just giving out a contented hum every time Jared's knot pulsed inside him.

Jared kissed his throat, happy to hear Jensen's breathing start to sound like he was drifting off. Holding his mate tight, Jared rolled the two of them so Jensen lay sprawled on his chest, pulled the empty pillow down under his hips, so his knot was more comfortable for Jensen, and then flicked off the light. The last thing he saw were the digits on the clock – 3.18am in fuzzy red light – as he drifted off with the weight of his sleeping omega comfortably on him.

~•~

Jared drove Jensen to the bus station just before 11am. Jensen stared out the window and chewed on his thumbnail the whole way there. He'd been quiet all morning, even flinching once or twice when Jared touched him, and Jared's wolf was not happy about it. Jensen's tension was making him amped up. He wanted to pace, to fight something, anything, whatever the unseen threat happened to be. So Jared had distanced himself, trying to think rationally that everything was okay, and not really succeeding.

When they pulled into the drop off point, Jared turned in his seat, straining against the seatbelt, and offered again, "Are you sure you're going to be okay? I can come in with you if you want?"

Jensen smiled sheepishly, ducking his head and shaking it. "No. Thank you. I'll be okay."

Jared sighed and sat back, nodding. "Okay. But you call me. If something happens, you call me and I'll come get you. Just..." Jensen leant over and hushed him with his lips. The kiss was quick and chaste, only making Jared's gut swirl when Jensen whispered against his mouth, "Yes, Alpha. I promise." Then Jensen was slamming the door behind him and disappearing into the crowd.

Jared watched him go, and then waited a few more seconds just to be sure Jensen didn't change his mind. Then some jerk in a station-wagon decided Jared was being too slow and honked his horn to get him to move. Jared flipped him the bird out the window and pulled out of the space, turning in the direction of the office when he reached the intersection, taking deep breaths as he flicked on the indicator.

He parked up in his usual space but didn't bother heading into the building. He walked down the block to the diner where Chad was waiting to distract him for a few hours. They ate, and Chad laughed at Jared checking his cell every ten minutes.

Jared scowled at him and checked it again. "Shut up. It's not funny."

"No, you're right. Not funny at all. Fucking hilarious is what it is!" Chad's booming laugh making people on the other side of the diner look over. "You're so whipped. Never thought I'd see the day."  
Jared shook his head and crammed his mouth with fries to stop him from saying something he'd regret. After the novelty wore off, Chad smiled and said, "You know he'll be okay, Jay?"

Jared shook his head and picked at the label on his beer bottle. "No. No I don't know that." Chad raised his eyebrows and somehow managed to look patronizing, despite the last bite of his burger dripping ketchup down the outside of his hand. Jared shrugged. "I know, okay. I guess...it's just we haven't been apart since we got back and it's...difficult."

"That damn biological imperative, huh?"

Jared smirked. Chad came across like an asshole most of the time but damn, he got it and Jared could forgive all the other shit because Chad always came through when he needed him to. "Something like that."

Chad balled up his napkin and roughly wiped at his full mouth before dumping it on his plate. "Tell you what, why don't we hit up the batting cages? We haven't done that in a while." Chad rolled his eyes at the way Jared just shrugged. "What's the alternative? You gonna sit at home and mope until the twink gets home?" Jared glared at him but he went on all the same. "Come on. I know you've still got that whole cripple thing going on but I reckon you might be able to hit one or two."

Jared glared even harder but the twinkle of mischief in Chad's eyes was too much and he huffed out a laugh and stood up from the table. "Come on then, let's see if that arm of yours has got any juice left in it, old man." Chad jumped up and grabbed his jacket, smacking Jared on the shoulder as they walked out. When they got to the door, Jared held it open, trying to sound casual when he said, "Oh, and Chad? You call my mate a twink again and you'll be eating through a straw for a month."

Chad smiled softly, even though Jared's face was deadly serious. "Noted."

~•~

Predictably, Chad spent less time swinging the bat and more time pissing off everyone in the place. It was Pavlovian. Everytime he saw a ball heading his way, he'd start mouthing off, like he would when he was a catcher. He had the dubious reputation of the player punched most often by opposing batters, during his time in the minors. Probably why he never got drafted to the majors, despite being a pretty consistant player. After a couple of hours, Jared started thinking that Chad's 'cripple' jibe wasn't too far off the mark. His thigh was aching and he was actually having to concentrate on holding his arm right. But hitting something really hard has the desired effect and Jared's mind was mostly worry free for a while. On the drive home, he realised it was a little disconcerting that Chad perhaps knew him better than he wanted to admit.

When he got back to the apartment it was empty. He stood at the kitchen counter, tapping his keys on the surface, for about 30 seconds before deciding it was too damn quiet in there without Jensen, and headed to the bedroom to change into his running gear. His body was beginning to ache but he needed to get rid of the nervous energy in his chest.

By the time he got back, the shadows were long on the ground and he could feel the evening air creeping in. As he approached the door to the apartment, he could hear voices coming from inside. He was tempted to let his wolf out a little so he could hear a little better but thought better of it. He did pause before he slipped the key in the lock, taking a breath to steady himself.

The conversation stopped abruptly when the front door slammed behind him. It felt strange to be stepping into his own home with such trepidation and he realized too late that maybe going for a run wasn't the best plan after all when he saw Colin's eyes open wide at the sight of him. Turning up flushed and sweating, his teeshirt clinging to his damp chest and his bare legs glistening, probably made him look a little intimidating.

Jensen found it amusing at least. "There you are! And holy crap...sweaty much?" The brothers were sat on the couch. Jensen had his legs tucked up under him, looking more relaxed than Jared had seen him in days. Colin looked like he might faint away, open mouthed, wide-eyed and pale. Jared wasn't sure what he had expected but he felt somehow surprised. Colin was slender, all coltish limbs and big brown eyes. His shirt and jeans both seemed a little too baggy and a little too short to really fit him. His preppy blonde hair was slightly ruffled like he'd been running his hands though it and he didn't seem able to take his eyes off Jared.

Jared smiled and walked over reaching his hand out. "You must be Colin. We're so glad you could come visit."

Colin scrambled to his feet and his handshake was confident even if his voice wasn't. "Um...thanks...I mean, thank you for letting me come...to visit."

Jensen guffawed from his seat. "Oh god, Col, he's not...Jesus, just sit. And close your mouth, you look like a guppy." Colin blushed and ducked his head as his ass hit the couch hard. Jensen watched him and then smirked up at Jared. "Well, now you're back I guess I should start on making some food? You ready to eat?"

Jared ripped the velcro strap holding his MP3 player from his bicep and dragged the lead of his headphones out from under his shirt. "Yeah, but I don't think you want to be stuck making food when you could be catching up? How about we order in? My treat. Unless you want to cook?"

Jensen shook his head. "No, no. That sounds...that would be really nice. What do you think, Col?"

Colin looked at Jensen with the same intensity and wonder that he'd regarded Jared and nodded. "Yeah. Really nice. I mean...if that's okay, and..." His words seemed to peter out and he shrugged.

Jensen looked at him with a warmth that sparked a sting of jealousy in Jared's wolf but when he looked up at Jared there was such relief and pride in his eyes, the Alpha felt a swell of happiness that only having a contented mate could make. He smiled down at them both and announced, "Great. Well, you two decide what we're having while I grab a shower, and then I'll go get us food?"

As he walked out of the room, Jared could hear hushed tones behind him.

_"Holy shit, Jen. He's..."_

"I know right! I told you."

"You never said how fucking huge he is! Seems nice though."

"He is. Nice. And that other thing too."

"Oh god! TMI, Jenny, definitely TMI!"

~•~

"Where's the rice? Don't tell me you forgot the rice." Jensen routed around in another of the bags Jared had unceremoniously dumped on the kitchen counter.

"Ah crap. I must have left it in the car. I'll go get it."

Jared reached for the keys but Jensen snatched them up. "No chance. You've already done enough. I'll go." He strode towards the door before Jared could protest, calling out over his shoulder, "Behave yourself."

Jared eventually broke the excruciating silence by looking at Colin and asking, "Do you think he meant you or me?" Colin smiled shyly and resumed pulling the take-out boxes from the bags.

Jared watched him as he worked quietly. Everything about the boy seemed quiet. Jared was surprised at how he was fixated on the differences between the brothers. They weren't biologically related but still, he was somehow shocked that they weren't more alike. Or at least didn't seem to be in the minutes he'd spent in Colin's company. The one thing they did seem to have in common was an air of kindness, which Jared was very glad for.

Jared gathered up the empty bags and moved them out the way before getting plates straight from the dishwasher and holding them out to Colin one by one, and ventured gently, "Jensen is so happy that you could come, Colin. He's been so excited to see you."

Colin took the plates silently, and nodded. Once he'd placed them carefully on the counter, he seemed to take a breath to steel himself, then said quietly, "I'm glad I came. I wasn't sure he really wanted to see me or..." He stopped and fixed Jared with a direct stare that Jared almost took for a challenge, even when Colin's words came stuttering out. "I...I feel like I want to a-apologize...to you. I mean...I, um. When they told me that you'd...taken him, I thought...that he would be...I don't know, your...your slave or something. And now I feel...god, I feel so stupid and sorry and...I'm just really sorry I thought that. He's so happy and...I just wish...I don't know..."

Jared stood and watched the kid tearing himself apart, trying to get the words out, his pale skin blooming bright red on his cheeks and neck, and felt his heart break a little for him. He reached out and gently placed his hand on Colin's shoulder. The boy almost buckled. Jared could smell the fear pouring off him, and tried his best to sound soft and un-Alpha-like. "Colin, please don't feel like you've done anything wrong. You were worried about your brother and it's totally understandable that you feared the worst. For what it's worth, I will gladly accept your apology, even if it's not warranted and I have to say I really appreciate that you felt that you wanted to make things good between us. Jensen has missed you so much. I know he'd really love it if you were able to spend more time together. And Colin...?" Jared waited for the boy to drag his eyes off his shoes and look him in the eye. "Jensen is my omega, my family. Which means as far as I'm concerned, you are my family too. Okay? So you're always welcome here."

Colin’s eyes were wide and he was slightly shaking, but he nodded and smiled shyly.

"Hey! Paws off!"

The two of them turned to see Jensen giving Jared a hard stare as he crossed the room. Jared smiled and let his hand fall away from Colin's shoulder. Jensen wagged his finger at his mate. "I thought I told you to behave."

Jared held up his hands in mock surrender but the Weres were surprised when Colin piped up with, "He was having to restrain me from eating all the Nan bread. You were taking so long, I thought I was going to starve to death."

~•~

By some miracle, all the food got eaten and the three of them collapsed on the couch afterwards, the TV on low in the background. Jensen leant up against Jared's side in one corner, their fingers entwined so their rings clicked together. Colin sprawled out at the other end of the couch, holding his stomach and groaning every time Jensen made him laugh.

"Did Col tell you he's applying to UH?" Jared pressed his cheek to Jensen's temple and shook his head slightly. He could feel Jensen beam at Colin who just looked a little embarrassed. "We went by there today, had a look around."

Jared nodded. "Do you know what you want to major in?"

Colin shrugged and looked like he wanted to talk about anything but this. "Engineering, I think. I like...building things."

"It's a good choice, good career options."

Jensen snickered. "A little better than Art History."

Jared poked him hard with his finger. "Hey! I'm doing okay, thank you very much." but his mate kept laughing.

Jensen reached out and rocked Colin's leg with his foot, saying, "I'm kinda surprised you're not staying closer to home, piling into a program with your buddies or something. You still hanging out with the twins? And that kid with the weird ear? What was his name?"

Colin swallowed and shifted in his seat. Jared watched the way that his shoulders tensed, and felt a familiar anxiety well in his stomach. Colin shrugged. "Brian...yeah, not so much. And besides Gemma's applying here so..."

Jensen smiled and rocked Colin's leg again. "I still can't believe you're going out with Gemma Morel. You got some game, Bro."

Colin smirked and pinked up, but still, there was something in his demeanor that had Jared worried. Jared sat up a little straighter and glanced at his watch. "Guys, I don't know about you, but it's getting late and quite frankly I'm not happy about putting Colin on a bus at this time of night." Colin started to protest but Jared just shook his head. "Look, why don't you stay over and head back in the morning? We have the pull-out in the office and it would save your parents from having to collect you in the middle of the night. What do you think?"

Colin looked hopeful but shrugged. "I don't know. Mom probably wouldn't go for it." but Jensen was already on his feet.

"Only one way to find out. I'll call from the office, if that's okay?"

Jared nodded and waited until he heard the office door fall closed before he sat up and fixed Colin with a stare. "How bad is it?"

Colin squirmed under the glare. "I don't know what..."

"Colin...how bad is it?"

Colin sighed and brought his hands up to his hair. "Bad. Not as bad as it was for Jenny but yeah, bad."

"You wanna talk about it?"

Colin shrugged. "Not much to tell. In a way it's been good. Turns out you get to know who your real friends are when people find out your brother is a Were. Gemma's been great though, I don't think I would have gotten through it without her. But I can't stay there. I need to get out. Looks like I might be able to graduate early, which is something."

"They'd let you do that?"

"The Principal is...he knows what's going on. He's cool with it, but there's not much he can do. Except get me out of there."

Jared rubbed his hands across his face. He remembered how it was for him, the bullying, the name calling, people pissing in his locker, stealing his clothes after practice, and just straight out beating the crap out of him. He didn't deserve it but somehow it seemed infinitely more unfair that it should be happening to the sweet, quiet boy sitting across from him. "Well, you let us know if there's anything we can do, practical help or...if you wanna talk or..." He held out his hands in a vague gesture that made Colin smile and nod in appreciation. Jared sat back and watched him for a moment, listening to the vague lilt of Jensen's voice, just a murmur coming from the office. He cleared his throat. "I guess it must have been a bit of a shock for you too." Colin looked at him blankly. "Y'know. Finding out about..." Jared motioned over his shoulder with his thumb towards the office.

Colin looked confused for a second and then laughed. "Oh no, I knew." He smiled at Jared's look of surprise. "I was a kid when they found out, not brain dead...or deaf. I heard what they were saying. Hell, they were yelling it most of the time. Jen wouldn't talk to me about it though. I think he was scared. I didn't want to upset him so I waited for him to talk to me..." He smiled sadly, "But he never did."

Jared swallowed. "He's talking now."

Colin looked up at him and beamed. "Yeah, he is."

There was a clatter in the hall. The office door banged open, and Jensen yelled, "Mom says it's okay but she wants proof of life. Come tell her we haven't sold your kidneys or anything."

~•~

The next morning, Jared slung his arm around Jensen's shoulders as his omega waved like a dork at the bus as it grumbled away, spewing out diesel fumes into the early morning heat. Colin looked happy under the veneer of mortification as he scowled coyly from the window. Jensen kept waving even when all they could see was the back of the bus pulling away.

Jared tilted Jensen's head towards him and kissed him roughly on his hairline. "I like your brother."

Jensen smiled up at him. "Thank you."

Jared cocked an eyebrow. "For what?"

"Just...just, thank you."

Jared stared in confusion at Jensen until his omega leant against his chest and whispered, "Take me home."

Jared smiled and kissed his head again. "Yeah. Yeah, I like the sound of that."

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to try to do one of these a month if I can, so hopefully there won't be such a big gap inbetween installments. I have a few ideas of things to write about in the future but no real story arc as yet, so feel free to suggest stuff that you'd like to see. All the love and cookies to somersault_j for the super quick beta! She's a wizard! : ) Any remaining mistakes are mine, please point them out so I can fix them!
> 
> As of the sixth installment of this verse, I'm making a retcon. Jared was a football scout. I'm changing that to baseball. Coz, reasons : ) Please let me know if I've missed any references.
> 
> These are my words. Characters that bear the names of actors in this story have no relation to the real life people of the same name. They simply have the misfortune to be cast in my sordid little tale. No profit is made from this.
> 
> I do NOT give my permission for this, or any of my other works to be posted or linked to outside of Fandom. If you would like to rec on AO3, LiveJournal or tumblr, that's fine, but let's leave the smut where it belongs.


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